Having read the Excelsior Daily update, I wanted to respectfully relate my experience in greater detail, ask some questions and offer some opinions, provoke some discussion. Rarely do changes go in on a UO server and work perfectly from the word 'go', so maybe some input will help with any potential tweaking.
I wasn't aware that there was that much hub-bub over the voting system. Definitely not that people were calling out champs and then not voting people in (though that might make sense if they took 20 minutes to show). I've seen players getting mad about not being allowed in firsthand but heck, I never got mad about it. I usually didn't ask my way in and just moved on - if there were some people there I knew and I tried it out and got denied - again, I moved along. Lots of UO players always get mad over not getting their way no matter what, but if staff feels the grievances were justified and numerous enough to warrant some change then that's what it is.
Regarding my
champ spawn experience since the change, I've only done one but that's on purpose since the one ended badly for me. There were five people at the Tokuno
champ -
Player 1 - started it
Me - Joined in at 3 candles, first tier
Player 3 - Joined in one candle before the third tier started
Players 4 and 5 - Joined in separately after Player 3 - either when/shortly after the third tier started
I did my usual thing - had five mules guarding me, tearing up everything during the first two tiers, then used 'all kill' for directed and virtually nonstop attacks during the third and fourth tiers. I didn't sic them on Serado but parked them and used a bow, definitely did damage since my EOO went orange, and I believe I did enough dmg to have qualified for a PS prior to the change.
None of the other players there were fully geared insta-heal masters who could whup mobs of hiryu and oni standing still or tank Serado. Everyone was running around trying to hit the boss without being hit. Players 1, 4, and 5 got a PS and Player 3 and I got gold only.
I hope that staff will consider giving more weight to the time spent active at the
champ and somewhat less to the damage done. By placing the bulk of the emphasis on damage, it seems inevitable that it will be slanted in favor of powerful players and keep PS out of the hands of the newer players who actually need them. Besides the fact that I consider time to be the most valuable resource by far in this game, two people who were not CyS gods were still able to outgun me and my five mules starting a tier and a half after me. And I'm no slouch - I work hard at champs. I take this to mean that under the current system, a high-end player or group of players could jump in at end-of-3rd tier or possibly later and WW/heal their way to a PS without a problem. Are the following situations possible/likely/preventable?
Powerful players show up late in
champ after noobs have done 75% of the work, easily script their way to a PS via WW weapon or Volcanic Eruption.
Powerful players show up early in
champ, SJ out, return after noobs have done 75% of the work, yada yada.
Player who you think you're competing with for a PS through the whole thing suddenly pops out five imp dogs on the
champ boss and beats you out of a PS in the space of two minutes.
I'd just like to know what to expect/not expect going in instead of having to find out the very hard way. Champion
spawns have by far been my favorite thing to do since I started here on Excelsior but I have no desire to invest an hour of my limited time in one for people to swipe powerscrolls out from under my nose at the very end. Thanks (:
